Rapidly-expanding restaurant brand, Coal Grill and Bar, has opened at the Xscape retail and leisure centre in Milton Keynes. Located in a prime position at the foot of the cinema escalators, Coal Grill and Bar features an elegant cocktail bar and an extensive restaurant with an open-plan theatre-style kitchen. The restaurant offers a full a la carte menu, as well as prix fixe menus featuring seafood, pizza and Mexican cuisine.
Coal Grill and Bar’s warm and inviting interior centres on natural materials for the main fabric of the unit, with all the complementary furniture supplied by Andy Thornton. The contract furniture supplier worked closely with in-house designer, John Gater, to source, manufacture and supply restaurant tables and chairs, bar furniture and lounge seating throughout.
The interior has a homely feel, giving the space the appearance of having been there for decades. This effect has been created by the intuitive use of natural materials, such as a beamed timber ceiling, walls in reclaimed brick and boarded wooden panelling and a combination of timber- and ceramic-tiled flooring. The interior has an earthy ambiance with a ready-made inviting atmosphere.
More than 60 stylish and modern designer Italian side chairs and armchairs combine solid-beech frames and backs with a comfortable upholstered seat in a mix of fabrics. The pieces were stained and polished to match the eye-catching solid ash table tops, which look striking on simple cruciform or stepped cast-iron table bases.
Supplied in a variety of sizes in rectangular, square and circular formats to provide maximum seating versatility, the tops are a chunky 45mm thick, with distinctive ash graining enhanced by extensive hand-finishing.
In the lounge area, Andy Thornton supplied leather sofas, coffee tables, tub chairs and cubes. The company’s popular Factory bar stool is situated around the slate-tiled bar, ideally complementing its setting thanks to its industrial-looking frame and distressed leather seat and back.
Established in 2007, Coal Grill and Bar has quickly grown to seven units, with five new openings next year and five more planned for 2015. The successful dining concept, which is constantly evolving, looks set for further roll-out in the out-of-town retail and leisure development sector.
